Electrical receptacles are necessary to supply power to electrically powered devices. Electrical receptacles, however, pose an inherent risk of electrical shock should an individual, such as a small child, contact the electrical contacts housed within. To reduce the risk of shock, electrical receptacles are provided with narrow slots for receiving the plug of an electrical appliance, so as to prevent individuals, and in particular children, from inserting body parts or objects into the receptacle. It is still possible however, for very thin or narrow objects, to be inserted into these slots, in which case the object may contact the electrical contact and transfer current to the individual, resulting in shock. Additionally, even suitable electrical plugs can sometimes result in shock when, for example, inserted partially into a receptacle if the user's skin contacts the plug blades.
Various mechanisms have been proposed and implemented to reduce the risk of electrical shock. For example, electrical outlet safety covers, which may consist of plastic structures that are placed over the outlet may be used. In some cases such covers include prongs that are inserted into the slots of the receptacle, to affix the cover thereon and prevent insertion of other objects. Such covers can easily be removed by small children, reintroducing the risk of electric shock.
Another solution, commonly known as a tamper resistant electrical outlet, involves blocking the electrical contact ports within the outlet. This prevents a single linear object from coming in contact with the electrical elements within the outlet, but does not prevent two pronged items, such as tweezers, which may be capable of applying pressure to the hot and neutral openings at the same time, from contacting the electrical contacts.